Saturday, February 18, 2012

Yesterday Susan called me around noon and told me that after her visit to the acupuncturist she had decided to go to the beach and shoot some photos.  She invited me to join her and see if we could find a place to have lunch.  I hopped the Number 2 bus and some twenty-five minutes later I was at my destination.  The bus ride was rather painless.  At each bus stop there is an electronic bulletin board that tells you how much time will elapse before the next bus arrives.  Additionally, each bus has a computer screen that tells you what the next stop is, as well as the one after it.  Some of the newer buses even broadcast the approaching stop over the sound system.  How civilized!

I met Susan on the beach side of Calle Neptuno and we peeked in a number of restaurants before deciding on La Perla.  There are numerous restaurants that overlook the beach and all feature the same menu, give or take a couple of items.  We decided on a salad, some puntillas and a seafood paella. Everything was tasty, but nothing was exceptional.  For dessert Susan has some strawberries and I had some tiramisu.  Our wine was a Martín Berdugo from the Ribera del Duero.  It is a very nice red.  When we finished our coffee we caught the bus back to Calle Borrull.  I got off at our stop and Susan continued on to the Nuevo Centro to pick up a few items at the Corte Inglés.

When Susan cane back home, a bit later than I expected she would, it turned out there was an exhibition of  Ninots at the Nuevo Centro that had turned into another photographic opportunity.  Ninots are the figurines that make up a falla and it is the falla that is burnt the last night of the celebration.  It is hard to believe that we are only a month away from the start of the craziness.

Early yesterday evening we took a cab to the Palau de Música for a concert by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Valencia under the direction of Yaron Traub.  The first piece was a world premiere of Fulgor Infinito by the Valencia composer Javier Costa Ciscar.  Next came William Walton’s “Concert for Cello and Orchestra.” After the intermission we settled in to hear an outstanding version of Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet Opus 64.” We took a cab back home and while Susan got comfortable I stopped off at La Fórcola to pick up a pizza that would be our dinner.  The restaurant was mobbed as is usually the case on Friday and they had to turn several people away because they did not have reservations.  The rest of our evening was dedicated to pizza and TV.  What a nice way to end a busy day!